Expatlas
Buy me a coffee

No ads, no paywall, no "sign up to see prices": just me versus a stack of consulate websites. If Expatlas saved you a dozen open tabs, a coffee funds the next country.

Buy me a coffee
Your passport

The rules change with your passport. Pick yours.

Portugal

2 programmes · EUR · Portuguese

Re-run the quiz →
Lisbon · yellow tram on the hill
Lisbon · yellow tram on the hill
Showing Portugal's requirements for Indian citizens. Other passports:🇺🇸 US🇬🇧 UK🇿🇦 ZA🇨🇦 CA🇦🇺 AU🇨🇳 CN🇧🇷 BRAll passports
Last updated July 2026Sources:aima.gov.pt,washingtondc.embaixadaportugal.mne.gov.pt,newark.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt,londres.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt
and 165 more

Portugal D9 (Remote Work Visa) (formerly D8)

Official nomad visa

What this visa gets you

  1. Visa

    Entry document

  2. Temporary residency

    2 years, renewable

  3. Permanent residency

    After 5 years

  4. Citizenship

    Not via this programme

Income requirement
€3,680 / month
Application fee
€110
Family allowed
Yes

How do Indian citizens apply for the Portugal D9?

Can Indian citizens apply from inside Portugal?

Generally no: most applicants apply from outside Portugal before they travel.

The "fly in on a tourist stamp and convert" route is a widespread misconception and does not work for this visa. If you already hold legal residence in Portugal on another permit, different rules may apply, so confirm with the authorities.

How long does the Portugal D9 really take for Indian citizens?

14–18 weeks (≈ 3–4 months)

  • Police clearance (typical)3w
  • Apostille (typical)1w
  • Consular appointment (typical)4w
  • Processing 8–12w (typical)8w
  • Post-arrival registration (typical)2w

Typical processing: 8–12 weeks. The rest is doc gathering + waiting in a queue, none of which the consulate counts.

Avoid these

What do people get wrong about the Portugal D9?

  • The tourist-stamp convert myth. Flying to Portugal on a tourist stamp and converting it into the residence visa from inside the country is not possible for D9. Almost every application story that goes badly starts with this misconception.
  • Underestimating timing by a factor of 2–3. The "60-day processing" line is real, but it's only the consulate's processing window. The door-to-door reality includes police clearance, apostille, consular appointment lead, and post-arrival registration, so most applicants land between 4 and 7 months.
  • Skipping or mis-formatting the apostille. Apostille is the single most cited rejection reason. Every supporting document from your home country needs an apostille from the right authority, and they expire. Don't apostille more than 4 months before submission.

Documents

What Indian applicants typically submit

Documents needing an apostille (Indian authorities):

  • Police Clearance Certificate issued by the nearest Regional Passport Office. Both the New Delhi DR checklist and the Goa D9 checklist of August 2025 state the PCC must be apostilled (Hague Apostille) and Goa adds that it must be presented in original.
  • Document attesting the fiscal residence of the applicant, issued by the competent fiscal authorities. Both checklists require this to be duly legalised with the Hague Apostille when it has been issued by the Indian authorities. New Delhi adds that the document must already be legalised at the moment of submitting the application, so this cannot be fixed after lodging.
  • Nothing else on either checklist is marked for apostille. Bank statements, ITRs, the cover letter and the insurance certificate are not apostille items. The Goa post instead requires the employment or service documents to be certified by a public lawyer or notary, which is a notarisation requirement and not an apostille one, and New Delhi does not impose even that.

Worth knowing: India sits on Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, so an Indian passport needs a visa for every Schengen entry and there is no scouting trip to Portugal without a C visa first. The D9 must be issued before you fly, and Decreto-Lei n.º 37-A/2024 of 3 June 2024 closed the in-country door for everyone by revoking the manifestação de interesse provisions in articles 88 and 89 of Lei 23/2007. The visa then gives two entries and 120 days inside which AIMA must issue the residence permit. Two documentary demands are shaped specifically for Indian files and appear on no US or UK version of this checklist. The first is the ITR: both missions want income tax returns for the previous three years alongside bank statements stamped and signed by the bank, so three years of filed Indian returns are effectively a precondition, which is a real problem for freelancers who have been under-declaring or filing late. The second is the fiscal residence certificate from the Indian tax authorities, apostilled, which means asserting you are an Indian tax resident at the moment you apply to stop being one. India and Portugal have both agreements you would want: the double taxation convention signed 11 September 1998 entered into force on 30 April 2000 and was amended by a protocol in force since 8 August 2018, and the social security convention signed in New Delhi on 4 March 2013 entered into force in May 2017 and covers self-employed workers as well as employees. The social security one is a trap in practice rather than a benefit, because the Certificate of Coverage that would exempt you from Portuguese contributions is issued by EPFO only to workers posted abroad by an Indian employer contributing to EPF, and a solo nomad has no EPF membership and cannot get one.

Tax

How is D9 income taxed for Indian citizens?

Tax residents (183+ days/year) are taxed on global income under Portugal's progressive system up to 48%. The NHR regime ended for most new applicants as of January 1, 2024. Freelancers may qualify for simplified regimes with reduced effective rates.

Tax treaty with IndianYes
Social-security totalisationYes

Money, roughly (sourced)

Regime: Ordinary progressive IRS (worldwide income), IFICI/NHR 2.0 generally unavailable to plain remote workers, about 51.9% effective tax on €60k/yr.

D9 holder becomes Portuguese tax resident, taxed on worldwide income at progressive IRS (2026: 12.5%–48%) plus a 2.5%–5% solidarity surcharge above EUR 80k. The 20% IFICI flat regime (NHR 2.0) is narrow, only highly qualified innovation/research roles with degree+experience qualify, so most ordinary remote workers fall under progressive rates, not 20%.

Capital gains: 28%. Headline 28% flat rate on securities gains; resident can elect to be taxed at progressive marginal rates instead. Real-estate gains: only 50% of the gain is taxed at marginal rates.

Living comfortably to well in Lisbon runs about €2,000–€2,800/mo for one person, incl. rent. Roughly 182% more than the same living in Mumbai, which runs about ₹78,000/mo (≈ €710).

Estimate your take-home in the tax calculator →

Worth a specialist's time. A short call before you commit usually pays for itself, especially for US citizens (FEIE/FATCA), existing UK ties, or unwinding SA tax residency.

D7 Passive Income Visa

Passive income

The D7 isn't a nomad visa. It's Portugal's passive-income residence visa, meant for people living on pensions, rental income, dividends, or other recurring income rather than active remote work. Plenty of remote workers still use it because the income bar is comparatively low and it leads to the same residency and citizenship timeline as the newer D9. If your income is salary or active client work, the D9 is usually the cleaner fit; if it's genuinely passive, this is the one.

What this visa gets you

  1. Visa

    Entry document

  2. Temporary residency

    2 years, renewable

  3. Permanent residency

    After 5 years

  4. Citizenship

    After 10 years of residence

Income requirement
EUR 920/mes (100% do salario minimo nacional, 2026); +50% conjuge, +30% por filho dependente
Application fee
€110
Family allowed
Yes

How do Indian citizens apply for the Portugal D7 Passive Income Visa?

Can Indian citizens apply from inside Portugal?

Generally no: most applicants apply from outside Portugal before they travel.

The "fly in on a tourist stamp and convert" route is a widespread misconception and does not work for this visa. If you already hold legal residence in Portugal on another permit, different rules may apply, so confirm with the authorities.

How long does the Portugal D7 Passive Income Visa really take for Indian citizens?

12–15 weeks (≈ 3 months)

  • Police clearance (typical)3w
  • Apostille (typical)1w
  • Consular appointment (typical)4w
  • Processing 6–9w official6w
  • Post-arrival registration (typical)2w

Official processing: 6–9 weeks. The rest is doc gathering + waiting in a queue, none of which the consulate counts.

Avoid these

What do people get wrong about the Portugal D7 Passive Income Visa?

  • The tourist-stamp convert myth. Flying to Portugal on a tourist stamp and converting it into the residence visa from inside the country is not possible for D7 Passive Income Visa. Almost every application story that goes badly starts with this misconception.
  • Underestimating timing by a factor of 2–3. The "60-day processing" line is real, but it's only the consulate's processing window. The door-to-door reality includes police clearance, apostille, consular appointment lead, and post-arrival registration, so most applicants land between 4 and 7 months.
  • Skipping or mis-formatting the apostille. Apostille is the single most cited rejection reason. Every supporting document from your home country needs an apostille from the right authority, and they expire. Don't apostille more than 4 months before submission.

Tax

How is D7 Passive Income Visa income taxed for Indian citizens?

No D7-specific tax regime. Holders who become Portuguese tax residents are taxed on worldwide income under standard Portuguese rules. The former NHR regime is closed to new entrants (transition window ended March 2025); the successor incentive (IFICI, also called "NHR 2.0") is aimed at qualified/scientific and innovation activity and generally does not apply to passive-income retirees, so no special concession is tied to the D7 itself.

Tax treaty with IndianYes
Social-security totalisationYes

Worth a specialist's time. A short call before you commit usually pays for itself, especially for US citizens (FEIE/FATCA), existing UK ties, or unwinding SA tax residency.

FAQ

Portugal D9: common questions

Can Indian citizens get the Portugal D9?

Yes. The D9 is open to Indian passport holders as non-EU nationals. The main requirement is proof of income of at least €3,680 per month.

Can I apply for the Portugal D9 from inside Portugal?

Generally no. Indian applicants normally apply at the Portugal consulate responsible for their region before travelling. Note this is about converting a short tourist stay; if you already hold legal residence in Portugal on another permit, different rules may apply, so confirm with the authorities.

Do I need an apostille for the Portugal D9?

Yes. Supporting documents issued in India (such as your police clearance) must be apostilled by the competent India authority before submission. Apostilles can expire, so don't obtain them more than a few months ahead of applying.

How much does the Portugal D9 cost?

The government application fee is about €110. The consular fee paid in India is approximately 110 EUR. Budget separately for police clearance, apostille (if required), translations, and required health insurance.

Does the Portugal D9 lead to permanent residency?

Yes. Time on the D9 counts toward permanent residency, for which you can typically apply after 5 years of legal residence.

Can I bring my family on the Portugal D9?

Yes. Spouses and dependent children can generally be included as dependants, usually with a higher combined income requirement and their own supporting documents.

Fees, income thresholds, and consular policy for Portugal, emailed when they move. About once a month.

What's next

Keep going

Compare with another country

See Portugal side-by-side with similar programmes.

Where you keep the most

Every country ranked by what's left after tax and living costs.

Re-run the quiz

Different answers may surface a programme you didn't consider.

Track changes

Every dated change we've logged for Portugal: income thresholds, fees, consular policy.

Expatlas provides information for orientation only and is not legal advice. Always verify current requirements with official government sources and consult an immigration lawyer for your specific case.

Portugal digital nomad visa for Indian citizens | Expatlas